In Situ Constitution Heterogeneity

In Situ Nugget Effect: INE

Scenario #1: Solid nuggets

d m 95% passing a certain screen opening

Imaginary d gangue = dm, by definition

1
 In Situ Constitution Heterogeneity

In Situ Nugget Effect: INE

Scenario #2: The Clustering Effect

d m Cluster Equivalent 95% passing

a certain screen opening

Imaginary d gangue = d m by definition

2
 A Structural Case that has nothing to do
with the In Situ Nugget Effect

In this case, the drilling diameter is irrelevant.

3
However, this is definitely a case of
In Situ Nugget Effect.

4
A Theoretical, Common Approach

dm 95% passing a
certain screen opening

dm equivalent of local
agglomerate

5
Estimation of the size dm

dm

6
 Revisiting Gy’s Formula for liberated
minerals

We can use a modified Gy’s formula:

 1 1 
S 2
INE    f m  g m  cm  d m
3

MS ML 
Only the following factors are relevant:
• The mass MS of the sample to be collected,
• The mass of the lot, whose effect is negligible if ML > 10 MS,
• The shape factor fm of the nugget or cluster of the mineral of
interest,
• The particle size distribution gm of the nugget or cluster of the
mineral of interest,
• The mineralogical factor cm, and
• The size if the largest nuggets or cluster/agglomerate
equivalent dm of the mineral of interest.

7
 Exercise #1: Arsenic Impurity

A porphyry copper deposit in Chile is drilled for its arsenic

content: For the floatation process to deliver copper
concentrates within arsenic specifications for the smelters, the
mine must either eliminate or carefully blend any ore with an
arsenic content higher than 100 ppm.
The exploration program uses half 2-meter NQ diamond core
drilling samples. For arsenic, it is not rare to observe a cluster
of arsenic minerals or neighboring veinlets, within a tiny
volume, say about 1 liter, more or less equivalent to a 5-cm
single particle.
Find out what the sample mass should be to insure the relative
standard deviation SINE is no larger than ±15%.
Find out how many 2-meter ½ NQ core samples, full NQ core
samples, ½ HQ core samples, full HQ core samples, and RC
50-Kg samples should be averaged before obtaining a relevant
database for ore grade control purpose.
Do the same exercise if the cluster agglomerate equivalent was
1 cm, and if the expected grade was 500 ppm, or 20 ppm.

8
The Nomograph Solution

9
 Exercise #2: Molybdenum By-Product

A porphyry copper deposit in Chile is drilled for its molybdenite

content: The expected average molybdenite content is 0.040%.
The exploration program uses half 2-meter NQ diamond core
drilling samples. For molybdenite, it is not rare to observe a
cluster or neighboring veinlets, within a tiny volume, say about 1
liter, more or less equivalent to a 1-cm single particle.
Find out what the sample mass should be to insure the relative
standard deviation SINE is no larger than ±15%.
Find out how many 2-meter ½ NQ core samples, full NQ core
samples, ½ HQ core samples, full HQ core samples, and RC 50-
Kg samples should be averaged before obtaining a relevant
database for ore grade control purpose.
Do the same exercise if the cluster agglomerate equivalent was
0.3 cm, and if the expected grade was 0.100%, or 0.020%.

10
The Nomograph Solution

11
 Exercise #3: The Coarse Gold, and
Clustering Fine Gold Cases

A coarse gold deposit in Brasil is drilled for its gold content: The
expected average content is 1.50 g/t.
The exploration program uses full 3-meter HQ diamond core
drilling samples. Visible gold is not rare. Within a tiny volume,
say about 1 liter, several gold particles can be observed
amounting to an equivalent 0.25-cm single particle.
Find out what the sample mass should be to insure the relative
standard deviation SINE is no larger than ±15%.
Find out how many 3-meter full HQ core samples, and RC 60-
Kg samples should be averaged before obtaining a relevant
database for ore grade control purpose.
Do the same exercise if the cluster agglomerate equivalent was
0.05 cm, and if the expected grade was 0.75 g/t, or 3.00 g/t.

12
The Nomograph Solution

13
 The Low-Background Mineral
Content L

Regardless of the In Situ Nugget Effect, a

certain proportion of the mineral of interest
may be easy to sample:
This proportion is referred to as
the Low-Background Content L.
Sometimes sampling protocols are selected in
such a way that we are capable to effectively
account only for the Low-Background Content,
while a substantial proportion remains far more
elusive, and possibly unaccounted for:
What happened?

14
The Low-Background Mineral Content L:
A Small-Scale Homogeneity Illusion

Example:
2/3 of the gold = L
1/3 of the gold

15
Estimation of the Low-Background
Mineral Content L: Method #1

16
 Estimation of the Low-Background
Mineral Content L: Method #2

This method is convenient when two series of

samples with masses MS1 and MS2 are likely to
yield two different skewed distributions.
As the sample mass diminishes, assay results
become distributed less symmetrically:
The mean X and the mode Y move
farther apart.
C.O. Ingamells suggested the following
formula:

Y1  M S 2 X  Y2   Y2  M S1 X  Y1 
L
M S 2 X  Y2   M S1 X  Y1 

17
 Method #2:
Estimation of Y1 and Y2

Frequency Y1

Y2

g/t gold

 Y1 and Y2 can be estimated visually

using histograms, or by calculating the
harmonic means.
18
 The Most Probable Assay Result Y:
Y and X can be very different.

g/t gold

±15%

MS

C.O. Ingamells suggested the following formula:

2 X X  L M S 1  V NE  M S 1  L
2

Y 
2 X  L M S 1  V NE  M S 1
2

19
 Estimation of the Variance VINE of the
True In Situ Nugget Effect

The variographic approach:

Variance V[j]
Sill

Covariance or
Correlation

Variance

V[j=0]
V[j=0] = Sampling/Measurement
Variance

Distance or Time j between two samples

20
 The Variance VINE is only one of the many
components of the Variance V0.

This fact is poorly understood by too many

people.

 IDEn
S 2

n
S
n
2
IWE n

S
n
2
FSEn S 2
GSEn
n

S 2
HE1 V [0] S
n
2
AEn

2
S S 2
IPE n
INE
S
n
2
IEEn
n

21
 The Contribution of VINE Within V0.

The larger VINE , the more likely all other

variances contributing to V0 will be large as well.

Making the optimistic assumption that

• the sampling protocol is optimized,
• the sampling equipment is correct, and
• the Analytical Error is minimized,
the contribution of VINE may be around half of
V0.

22
 The Effects of Large VINE and V0.

If VINE and V0 are left unresolved, unpleasant

economic consequences will take place:
• Modeling a variogram becomes an exercise in
futility.
• Kriging techniques don’t work well.
• Cutting high grade ignores part of the [X – L]
resource.
• Conciliation problems are exacerbated.
• The optimum recovery of natural resources
becomes an elusive task, the economic
consequences of which are staggering.
23
 What is a bad V0 ?
VINE being part of V0

V[j]

Sill

Bad

Alert

Good

0
j
0

The place of the sill is a big factor in the

interpretation of the above figure.
24
 Recommendations When VINE
Is Very Large

 Select drilling diameter as large as possible.

 Quantify shortcomings of the basic module mass of
observation: Necessary N  M S
 Rely on very good geology, looking for natural
boundaries, and key indicators.
 For important “money-making” constituents make sure
selected ore grade cutoff grades are below L.
 Rely on low-grade stockpiles.
 Do not cut any high grade for the calculation of the
average overall grade.
 Learn to live with conciliation problems: Make sure
management is aware of the effects of precision ellipses.

25
The duality of d and dAu

26